It's Unsolved
by Tsuki Is Moon
Summary: Sora has been going through many changes since his sixteenth birthday. After awakening from his one year coma Riku and Sora have finally been able to catch up but now some feelings are falling into place and Sora can't get them to fit. RikuxSora
1. Chapter 1

"Ow! Riku that hurt!" Sora groaned. He tried to pull away but Riku held fast.

"I'm almost there. Stop being a baby." The older boy retorted.

Sora bit his lip and tried to stay still. This was the second time it had happened but this one hurt more than the last. He was fed up with it really yet it couldn't be helped.

Riku let out a triumphant grunt as he released Sora's foot from his now outgrown shoe. "Geez Sora, your feet are getting huge. You've already outgrown three pairs. It's ridiculous." He said bluntly, tossing aside the shoe onto the ground beside himself.

"I know." Sora said with a sigh and began to rub his sore feet. Ever since he had turned 16 he'd begun to have a few physical changes, his feet being one of them. He had to cut his hair every week – and that was just to keep it shoulder-length – he was almost Riku's height who was 6'1" and he had gotten larger in… other places as well. It was getting a little frustrating.

"We can go out and get you a new pair tomorrow before we head off to the island. For now though, you're going shoeless." Riku stated. He grabbed his bag and put Sora's shoes in it. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah, I've always got socks."

It was the last few days of summer and with Kairi gone for a while the two of them had actually had a chance to really catch up. Sora, however, had felt something… change within him over that time. He just couldn't quite catch it yet.

"Sora?"

The younger boy blinked and turned his head. Riku was staring at him with an amused expression. "What?"

"You coming or what? I can't wait here all day for you decide what color the sky is." Riku said with a small chuckle. Sora's had been staring up at the twilight sky for a full minute apparently very deep in thought.

"Oh, yeah." Sora answered wistfully. Without thinking, he took Riku's outstretched hand and allowed himself to be stirred home. He didn't realize how warm the older boy's hand around his own until they were standing outside his own house. Sora blushed. With one quick movement he pulled away his hand. "I-I'll see you tomorrow Riku."

"I'll be waiting outside the school." Riku said with a smile. "Be sure to get some money too."

"Mm-hmm. Okay, see ya." Sora then slipped inside his house and let out his long held in breath. His mom greeted him from the living room and the smell of dinner wafted into his nostrils. It was meatloaf.

"Did you and Riku have fun today?" His mom asked as they ate at the small round kitchen table.

"Yeah, I need some new shoes though so we're going to get some new ones tomorrow." He answered, a piece of meatloaf hanging from his bottom lip as he spoke. This was his third plate of food since he got home. His mother teased about how he was just like his dad now, shoving food in his face almost every other hour. "Can I borrow some money?"

She giggled and tossed her strawberry blonde hair out of her face. "Sure honey. I have to go to work in the morning so the money will be on the table."

"Thanks… uh, can we have dessert?"

Sora lay awake in his boxer staring out the open window. The night sky glistened brightly with Mother Moon in the center. He still couldn't believe all that stuff about different worlds and the darkness come to life… was all a dream.

About a year ago, he had been hit by a car while walking home from school. He had been racing Riku and Kairi to the shopping center just a block or two away. None of them had checked to see if there were any cars and Sora was the only in the crosswalk at the time the car came. He went into a coma soon after. It lasted for a whole year. The first thing he saw when he awoke however was Riku sleeping in a hospital chair. He stayed by his bedside whenever he could, his loyalty to his friend too strong to resist.

"I wonder what you were thinking… Riku…" Sora trailed off as his eyelids drooped and he was overtaken by sleep.

"Sora! Wake up you lazy bum!" Riku yelled up into Sora's window. No one had answered the door so he tried the window instead… which wasn't working. "Damn it Sora…"

Without thinking, Riku began to scale the rigged brick wall up to Sora's bedroom. It was surprisingly easy once he got the hang of it. He reached the window in only a minute. "What the hell…?" Sora was sprawled out on the full sized bed, drooling horribly. Riku couldn't help but laugh.

The laughter turned into hysteria, leading to Riku falling off the window ledge and into Sora's lap. Both boys toppled over onto the dirty floor. Riku hit the floor with a loud thud as Sora – landing on his chest – knocked the wind right out of him. He struggled to remain conscious.

Sora wrinkled his nose in mild pain. He had been rudely awakened by a large figure landing on his groin but when he felt something beneath him move… Sora jumped and ended up straddling his best friend on the ground. "Riku! Riku wake up!" The older boy was drifting between imagination and reality. "God I killed him!"

"Nnh…" Riku tried to roll over onto his side to escape Sora's loud voice, taking Sora with him. "That hurt Sora…" He mumbled drily as he lay comfortably on the younger boy's frail chest. A shiver trailed down the brunette's spine feeling Riku's breath in his ear.

"Get off me Riku!" Sora struggled underneath the older boy's weight but all attempts failed. Using the very last ounce of his strength, he wriggled out from under Riku's body. Sora found himself gasping for air. It seemed that he had held his breath throughout most of it. Without thinking, Sora kicked Riku awake.

Riku grunted in great pain as soon as he felt the swift kick to his stomach. He heard the sound of footsteps trailing away. "Sora…?" But he was already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry if I took too long. I was a little discouraged that anyone even liked the story but anyway I made it all for you. Enjoy and please review, it really helps. **

Riku grumbled irritably and slowly got to feet. He no longer heard the footsteps. "He must've run…" He said dryly. His feet were heavy as he dragged them across the floor. He peeked out into the hallway. Sora was nowhere to be seen. When Riku went down the stairs, he found Sora sitting on the kitchen countertop. "Sora!"

The younger boy jumped and turned to look at Riku. "Uh, hi Riku. Sorry about the pain. I kind of kicked you." Sora said quietly. He felt timid and exposed with only his boxers on. Something inside him had given him the chills when Riku's gaze passed over his chest.

"It's no big deal but I'm going to leave you if you don't get ready dude." Riku replied with a smirk. "We can drop by my house and steal my dad's sandals if the ground is too hot."

"Alright, just give me 15 minutes and I'll be set." Sora jumped from off the counter and ran up the stairs so he could get ready.

Riku and Sora made their way across the paved city streets to the shopping center. Riku was careful to avoid the main roads and watch out for cars. They had been walking between buildings and in alleyways. He didn't know how Sora would react to it all yet but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"So what type of shoes will you get this time?" Riku asked but when he turned to look at his friend he wasn't there anymore. "Sora?"

Sora had stopped a little ways back. He was standing in the middle of a pair of train tracks that was hidden between apartment buildings and a thick line of trees. In the distance, he could hear the train coming along the tracks. Why was he doing this? He's never been suicidal before… but that was before. Ever since he had woken up from his coma, his dream… he'd been having all these nightmares. He even bought a few dream catchers to try and lessen the amount of awful dreams. However, the nightmares remained etched in his mind.

Tendrils of tears fell down Sora's face. He didn't want to see it anymore. He didn't want to see what he couldn't have. That ideal world… With so much going on in his head, Sora couldn't hear Riku yelling his name. The train was getting closer but Sora wasn't going to move. He didn't want to move.

"Dammit!" Riku ran out onto the tracks and grabbed Sora. The train was too close now. He couldn't jump. With a quick thought, Riku pushed both of them down between the tracks and pressed the brunette to the tracks as hard as he could. The train proceeded to pass over them.

Wind and heat rushed over them in large gust. Riku could feel Sora's tears soak into his shirt. Without thinking, Riku began to coo sweetly into the brunette's ear. "Shh, it's okay. I'm right here… I'm right here."

It took five whole minutes for the entire train to pass over. Riku was the first to move. He checked to see if Sora was okay first. Then, he punched the younger boy right in the face as he was taken by rage. Sora grunted sharply and crumpled to the ground, hand on his face.

"What the hell were you thinking? Did you really want to kill yourself? Huh? Answer me!" Riku was yelling at the top of his lungs. He was furious. "Why would you do that…?" His fury shifted to sadness. The fact of having his best friend leave him just like that… He wasn't ready for that; he wasn't for prepared that yet.

Sora stared up Riku with tears still caught in the corners of his eyes. He didn't want to answer so he merely turned his head and began to cry again. He felt like a child, crying over something he knew he could never have. Above him, Riku released a sigh and gently cradled the younger boy in his arms. "Don't you ever do that again, idiot."

Riku took Sora back home and waited until his mom got back from work. They decided to keep Sora's suicide attempt to themselves and told her that the principal had caught them loitering outside the school. She squabbled over his son's bruised face but it was quickly dismissed as an accident. The older boy didn't want his friend to wind up dead so he decided they should spend the night on the island.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Sora's mom said warily. She seemed to notice the tension between the two boys since she had returned from work.

"It's only for one night. Besides, we didn't get to go today. I promised Sora we would go after we got him some shoes." Riku explained. The words on his tongue were thickly ladled with thoughtfulness and beseech. "Please? I'll ask my dad and everything!"

"Well…" Sora's mom paused for a moment, thinking it over. "I suppose. So long as you come straight home in the morning, then I don't see why not."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Riku said with a grin. "I'm going to go get some things from my house. Sora, meet at the boat in ten minutes okay?"

Sora looked over at Riku, his eyes glazed over and his expression neutral. "Alright."

The night was quiet as the full moon gazed upon the sea with her beautiful face. The clouds were wafting away with the wind, unveiling the jewels of the sky. Riku sat at the dock, his feet dangling in the warm water. On his back was a small backpack filled with an extra set of clothes and a thick blanket. He was still waiting for Sora to get there. He was actually starting to worry. What the idiot had gotten himself hit by another car… or worse: a train.

"Riku?"

The silver haired teen jumped and quickly turned his head. In the moon's light was Sora's boyish outline. Riku could hear a faint dripping sound. As he looked more closely, he saw something dripping from Sora's hand onto the ground, something dark.

"Riku… Help me…"

Sora raised his arms up from the darkness and into the moonlight. His hands and wrists were bleeding profusely from each deep cut. Stepping forward, Riku could see the younger boy was crying and shivering violently.

Now, Riku was scared. He rushed to his feet and scrambled to Sora's side. The older boy caught him as the brunette collapsed to the ground. As Riku held Sora in his arms he could feel the blood dripping onto his clothes and skin. It felt strange the way it slid down his bare legs and onto the ground. Now was not the time to panic but Riku was already way over his head. He tried to compose himself just enough so he could get back on his feet and race to the hospital.

Mustering up what was left of his sanity; he careful stood up and began to run. Riku's feet pounded hard against the pavement as he moved fast through the streets of the island. The hospital itself was on the other side of the island. He wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.

He diverted off the path and headed for his house. His dad never locked the door because he usually worked odd hours and liked easy access to the house. Riku made it home, breathless and tired. His knees knocked as Sora's weight was finally bearing down on him. He quickly opened the door with his jittery hands and gently deposited the younger boy on his sofa.

As Riku pulled away, he noticed Sora was rather pale. He looked down at his own clothes. Nothing but blood. He went into the kitchen and grabbed phone to dial 911.

Sora awoke to the smell of a sterile room and too bright lights. His eyes fluttered but never fully opened. He felt so tired… Why did he feel so tired? It was as if someone had sucked all the energy right out of him. As he tried to move, he felt strangely held back.

Opening his eyes fully, he knew where he was immediately: The hospital. He hadn't been back since the doctors had released him only months ago. He looked down at himself and saw the restraints. What the hell was going on? He was heading into panic mode. He thrashed against the restraints violently, rattling the hospital bed. On the monitor, his heartbeat was accelerating.

All the noise had awoken both Riku and his father from sound sleep. The silver haired teen got up out of his chair and came to Sora's bed side. "Sora!" The brunette wasn't listening. Riku growled and grabbed Sora by the chin, demanding his full attention. "Sora, listen to me. You need to calm down."

"Riku what happened? Why am I here?" His memory was hazy and incomplete of what had happened that night. It all goes blank after his mother left to pick up a few groceries. A single tear rolled down the younger boy's distraught face. He was totally confused but mostly, he was afraid.

"You don't remember? Sora, you came to me with your wrists and hands bleeding last night."

"What?" Sora's voice rose to the point that it could be heard outside in the hallway.

"I said calm dow-!" But it was too late. The doctors were already bursting into the room. They quietly shoved Riku out of the way to get to Sora directly. "Wait, he's just a little confused is all. Leave him alone!" He was gently pulled back by his father's reassuring hands.

Sora was screaming at the top of his lungs as he was quickly surrounded by so many people. The sight of the needle only made it worse. He thrashed and squirmed, evading all direct attempts made by the doctors. Soon, it was passed to the other side of his bed where the IV stood with its constant drip.

Riku and his father were forced out of the room by two tired looking nurses. Sora's scream could still be heard from the hallway but slowly, it dissipated to a soft keen only heard at the door. They had finally sedated him.

The older boy bit his lip and punched the wall before storming off down the hallway. He found the stairs and walked all the way up to the roof. It was quiet and peaceful. A perfect place to clear the mind. Riku settled alongside the railing, his back facing the town below. He tried to relax but the constant smell of cigarette smoke tickled his nose.

"Hey kid. You shouldn't be up here."

Riku turned his head at the unknown voice. Standing against the railing was a young doctor smoking an almost used up cigarette. His face was serious and his blue eyes were cold as ice past the glasses. The young man's spiky blonde stood out the most at its odd angles. Around his neck was thick chained necklace with a wolf's snarling head, its jaws clamped tightly around a silver ring.

"Well doctors shouldn't smoke." Riku retorted, a bit too much venom laced in his voice.

To his surprise, the doctor let out a gruff laugh. "You're right, I probably shouldn't." He took a long drag and flicked the cigarette butt onto the ground. "By the way, your friend's going to be fine. Just give him."

The silver haired teen looked at his words hopefully. The young doctor smiled down at him. "What's your name kid?"

"Riku."

"Call me Cloud. If you need something, just call me. I'm always available." Then, he left. Riku could hear his heavy footfalls as he made his way down the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

The hospital was quiet in the early hours of the morning. Most of the staff was feeling rather relaxed as the summer breeze tumbled into window after window. Cloud sat in the cafeteria lazily sipping his coffee with his dark haired colleague. Both men talked of nothing in particular. Two simple minded nurses passed by with the morning gossip.

"Did you hear about the boy who came in last night?" The blonde one asked.

"You mean the suicide attempt?" The brunette asked back.

"Yeah, I heard it might have been his little boyfriend that's always in the room. Most of the cuts didn't look to be self inflicted."

Cloud's dark haired colleague turned to both women with a smile. "Now ladies," Zach talked smoothly and calmly with a hint of anger. "It's not very nice to gossip over something so untrue. Do you even know the patient's name?"

Both women blushed and shook their heads hurriedly. "S-so sorry, Dr. Fair." The blonde said a bit loudly in the quiet atmosphere. They scuttled away quickly to avoid the man's hard set stare.

Zach turned back around to face Cloud with his ever present smile. "Nurses these days… How do you put up with it Cloud? They always seem to around you, pretty boy."

"I don't see how you can work with children all day. They're so annoying." He replied, taking another sip of his coffee. "At least you know I'd never cheat on you." Cloud whispered with a smirk on his lips.

The pediatrician laughed quietly and grinned brightly. "Aren't you the optimist?"

"I try…" Cloud strayed as he caught sight of Riku. The boy looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and he was looking a bit pale. Zach turned around and saw him too. He turned back around and locked eyes with Cloud. "I'm worried about that kid."

"You should put him on an IV. It'll perk him up in a few minutes." Zach said. He looked at his watch and his eyes widened slightly. "It seems I've over stayed my welcome… Meet me at noon so we 'talk' some more." They exchanged a glance and smile before Zach finally left.

Riku sat alone at a small table with a bowl of cereal in front of him. He ate it with the vigor of an animal. He hadn't eaten his dinner last night because he was supposed to eat when he got to the island with Sora…. Sora.

His friend had been sent to the psychiatric ward so the doctors could keep a close eye on him. It seems that he is mentally unstable. Riku was planning to see him after breakfast but he was too tired. His mind was drained of all thought. He hadn't even noticed Dr. Strife sit at the table.

"Riku!"

The silver haired teen jumped at the sound of his name. He stared at the doctor with his tired, bloodshot eyes. "Cloud?"

"Are you done?" Riku nodded. "Then come with me."

Riku followed. His wrong state of mind made him very obedient. When they finally reached their destination, they were in an unoccupied room. "C'mere." Cloud beckoned him over to the bed.

He staggered over to the bed and made use of it, laying down in its comfort. He closed his eyes.

"Don't go to sleep just yet, I'll be back in a second." The young doctor left Riku alone for only a few moments. A small pinch brought the young boy from his state of sleep.

"What are you doing?" Riku whispered in question. He opened his eyes and saw the IV in his arm.

"You should feel better after this but stay off your feet until you **are** feeling better." Cloud said calmly "I'll have my friend Aerith check in on you every now and again. She likes kids." He chuckled quietly. "Like I said before, your friend's gonna be okay."

"Hello?"

Riku opened his eyes slightly. He was still tired but not as tired as before. He found himself staring at a young woman with lovely green eyes. She smiled as he finally awoke. In her arms, he saw a rather large basket filled with a rather large assortment of flowers and sweets.

"You're Riku, right?" She asked in a light carefree voice.

"Mm-hm… You Aerith?" Riku asked in return.

Aerith smiled. "Yes, I am. Are you feeling okay?" She pulled up the small chair from out of the corner to get more comfortable.

"I feel like throwing up…" He admitted shamelessly. "And could I have a cookie?" He had spotted a delicious looking shortbread in Aerith's basket.

"Oh, that's normal when you're on the IV." She said as she moved her basket in front of him so he could grab a cookie. "Would you like to come and see your friend?"

Riku nibbled on his cookie and stared at the ceiling. He was feeling sort of refreshed now, no longer tired. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that…"

Sora was lying in the large lounge chair by the window. He was wrapped in a warm blanket and was so close to sleep. The pills they had forced down his throat were doing what they were supposed to. He started thinking about Riku… "Riku."

"You called?"

The brunette turned around and saw his friend standing right behind the chair. "Riku!" He reached up to hug the older boy who leaned down to receive it. "They said I couldn't see you…" He whispered into Riku's neck. He was happy now.

"They never said **I** couldn't see **you**." Riku whispered back with a smile. He pulled back and jumped into the lounge chair so he could be closer to Sora. "They haven't done anything to you, have they?"

"Just the usual: Pump me full of meds so I can barely stand." The younger boy said humorlessly.

Aerith smiled sweetly at the two boys as they talked about everything. She had could tell they really cared for each other. "Sora." The younger boy turned his head at the doctor's gentle voice. She passed him a fully bloomed Allspice flower. "For you."

"Thanks." Sora gave her sloppy smile and sniffed the flower.

"This is Aerith." Riku began, "She works as a pediatrician downstairs. She snuck me in here when they refused to let me in."

"I have someone I want you to meet as well." Sora said as he unwrapped himself from his blanket. Riku saw that he was wearing white hospital clothes from head to toe. The three of them made their way across the room which was quiet and peaceful. Many of the patients were docile and tired but as they got to the very end, there was one who seemed to be… lively.

The tall young man was standing at the window sill with a bunch of roses and a vase full of water. His long black hair fell down to the small of his back and over his shoulder. He looked content as he trimmed the stems and thorns. His eyes were a dark red as he stared off into the distance absently.

"Hey, Vincent." Sora walked over to him casual and hummed quietly as he did so.

"Hello Sora, come to help me with my roses?" The man asked in a whimsical voice. When he turned to greet Sora, Riku noticed he didn't stare directly at the brunette but more in the general direction of his voice. With his pale fingers, Vincent passed a hand over Sora's chest and made his way up the teen's shoulder. "Do you have an Allspice with you, Sora?"

"Vincent, you look well." Aerith said as she pulled a white rose from her basket and pressed it into his hand. "Have you been to gardens lately?"

He shook his head. "No Ms. Gainsborough. They haven't let me leave for some time now. I'm worried for my flowers." Vincent said with a frown. He lifted the flower to his nose then stopped and drifted to Riku's general direction. "Is this one of your friends?"

"He's with me. This is my friend Riku." Sora said, leading Vincent towards his friend. He took the young man's hand into his own and placed it on Riku's shoulder.

"M-may touch your face, Riku?" Vincent asked innocently.

"Of course. It's the only way you'll know what I look like." Riku replied. He kept still as the older man's hand traveled up his neck and onto his face. The pale fingers made slow work, taking their as they collected data.

"You have a rather handsome face Riku." Vincent said quietly. He passed his fingers through the teen's silver hair. "Very nice hair… Sora you always bring me such beautiful people."

Riku blushed at Vincent's words. Beautiful? He'd never been called beautiful before, especially never by a man. It was sort of embarrassing.

Sora laughed at that. "You really think so? I've never thought of it that way." He glanced at Riku for a moment but found he couldn't keep from laughing. "I guess you're right." He grabbed Vincent's hand gave it a squeeze. "Want to see if we can sneak you to the garden?"

Aerith smiled at the teen's words. "That sounds like a lovely idea Sora. Riku, you and Sora will have to wait a little while until I can get Cloud but Vincent," She pat his back gently. "How would you like to go now? I'm sure that they'd let one patient out for a little while."

Vincent gave her a wispy smile, turning in her general direction. "I would love to Ms. Gainsborough."

Sora sipped a small cup of hot cocoa as Riku lay across the couch beside him. After Aerith had left they had started talking. Talking about anything that happened to come up, and when they ran out of things to talk about they did nothing. For a while they had been lying about and being lazy. Sora couldn't do much anyway with all the meds still fresh in his system.

"Riku?"

"What is it Sora?"

"When I get out of here… can we go to the island? I don't want to stay here."

Riku lifted his head and propped himself up on his elbow. He saw Sora's unhappy expression as he gazed at the cup of hot cocoa. He reminded the older boy of Kairi when she would get sad. Without really thinking, Riku grabbed the mug out of Sora's hands and placed it on the table before hugging his friend. The brunette did not protest. In fact he buried his head in Riku's chest, just as he had the day before, and cried.

"Hey Riku! C'mere!" Sora called from the tree house, his little feet moving across the wood in an impatient dance. He was only five at the time but he would never forget it.

Riku was one year older. He came reluctantly at Sora's call, climbing the ladder at a leisurely pace. "What is it now?" He pulled himself up and stood up slowly, looking around for Sora. He started walking towards the entrance of the tree house and found his friend crouched down in the middle of the floor.

"C'mon, closer!" Sora beckoned Riku forward with his voice. The silver haired boy went to crouch down next to him. The brunette was holding something tightly in his hand. "Look what I found!"

When Sora opened his hands, the smile on his face immediately faded. The lizard he had been holding so tightly had suffocated in his hands. It still held its beautiful colors of green and orange. Riku plucked it out of the younger boy's hand and examined it closely. He then looked over to Sora. "Hey, don't cry."

The brunette couldn't help it. He felt horrible as Riku tossed aside the lifeless lizard. "I-I didn't mean to…" His little hands were shaking and started to sniffle.

"Calm down, it was just an accident." Riku grabbed Sora's shaking hands in an effort to comfort him. He didn't really know much but there were many times when he had seen his dad with a lady when she was upset. He would always try to talk them down and make them feel better. He'd hold their hands, brush their hair back, and even kiss them. Riku wasn't sure if the same thing applied to friends too but he didn't like seeing Sora cry…

At first, Sora didn't react. He was awestruck by Riku's actions. When the older boy pulled away, he saw Sora's surprised expression but, more importantly, his tears were gone. "Feel any better?" Riku asked innocently, pushing his silver hair behind his ear.

"Y-Yeah…" Sora stumbled over his words. "Um… can you, uh, do it again?"


End file.
